Automatic pistol.



J. H. WESSON.

AUTOMATIC PISTOL.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. a, 1911.

1,033,971. Patented July so, 1912.

UNITED sTATnls raTnn FIQ JOSEPH H. WESSON, OF SPRINGFIELD,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO SMITH & WESSON, INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION0F MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC PISTOL.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. IVESSON, a. citizen of the United States,residing in Springlield, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Pistols, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representinglike parts.

The present invention relates to an automatic fire arm, and is shown asembodied in an automatic pistol of the so-called blowback type, in whichthe breech block is forced back by the reaction of the charge in firingthe pistol, allowing the spent shell to be ejected and a loadedcartridge to take its place and be forced into the chamber by the returnof the breech block through the action of a spring. In a pistol of thisclass, it is necessary to cock the pistol prior to the first dischargeby manually pulling back the breech blockiwhich cocks the hammer, andallows a cartridge to come into position to be forced into the chamber,and the purpose of the present invention is to facilitate thispreliminary cooking operation by providing the re arm with means formoving the breech block without bringing" the 'actuating spring intooperation. This admits of the use of a much stronger spring and improvesthe automatic action of thepistol; and in the cooking operation the onlyresistance to the backward movement of the breech block is that of thehammer spring.

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of a pistol embodyingthe invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line m2 of'Fig.- l;Fig. 8 is a similar section showing the parts in a diiferent position;Fig. 4 is a horizontal section, on the line mi of Fig. l, showing thebreech block in place; Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the breech blockpulled back to the cooking position; Fig. 6

is a view similar to Fig. l showing a modification; Figs. 7 and 8 aresections, on the line :1:7 of Fig. 6, showing the parts in differentpositions; and Fig. 9 is a horizontal section, on the line m, of Fig.6.'

Referringto Fig. l, the pistol is provided with the blow back breechblock l of the usual construction, which is adapted to cock the hammerwhen it is forced back by the reaction of the red charge, so that a car-Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Application led April 3, 1911.

Patented July 30, 1912. serial No. 618,521.

tridge will be delivered from the magazine into the space in front ofthe breech block, the said cartridge being inserted in' the chamber bythe forward movement of the breech block which takes place in responseto the action of a spring 2 contained-in a chamber or recess above thebarrel. The said spring 2 lies between a fixed abutment 3 and a movableabutment 4 which is at the end of a rod 5 normally connected with thebreech block 1, so that the backward movement thereof produces a.corresponding movement of the abutment 4, compressing the spring 2,whereby the action of the spring restores the breech block to its normalposition from which it has been moved either by hand, or by the recoilaction, after the pistol has been operated.

As ordinarily constructed, the rod' 5 is permanently connectedv with thebreech block so that in the preliminary cocking operation, it isnecessary to overcome the stress of the spring 2 as well as that of thehammer spring. In order to facilitate the cooking operation, the pistolconstructed in accordance withthis invention is provided with meanswhereby `the breech block can be moved without a corresponding movementof one spring abutment with relation to the other, as by disconnectingthe breech block from the movable abutment, so that in the preliminarycooking operation the breech block can be drawn back without compressingthe spring, and then pushed forward by hand and reconnected with themovable abutment. The same result can obviously be accomplished bydisconnecting the stationary abutment from the part to which it isnormally connected, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1, the abutment 3 is permanently fixedin the spring containing chamber by means of a cross pin 6 or equivalentconnecting device, and the rod 5 which extends through the abutment 3 isarranged to be disconnected from the breech block through the action ofa manually operated catch, thereby admitting of a movement of the breechblock without a corresponding movement of one spring abutment relativeto the other and consequent compression of the spring. The said rod 5 isshown as provided with an enlarged portion 7 which is contained in arecess 8 in the breech block, and lies between the back wall 9 of thefixed abutment Band a lug 10 on the top of the breech block, a portionof the lower surface of the enlarged portion 7 being iiattened, as bestshown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The unflattened portion of the part tocooperate with a transversely movable catch 12 in the breech block. Thesaid catch 12 consists of a sliding member located in a transverse slotcut through the breechV block 1, the Lipper surface of the catch beingshaped so as to orm an upward projection which has a liat rear surface13 and a beveled front surface Vportion 14, as best shown in Figs. etand 5. The said member also projects laterally beyond the side of thebreech block so as to form a finger piece 15; and a downwardlyprojecting lug 16 connected with the catch bears against a spring 17located in a recess below the catch 12 to restore the same to its normalposition when released by the iinger. In its normal position, shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 4.-, the tlat rear surface 13 of the catch lies incontactwith the shoulder 11, formed bythe unflat tened part of theenlarged portion 7 so that when the breech block l moves back, theportion 7 will be carried back with it, pulling back the rod 5 and theabutment 4, and compressing the spring 2. In cooking the pistol by hand,however, it the catch 12 is pressed inward against the stress of thespring 17 the surface 13 on the catch is moved out of the path of theshoulder 11 on the part 7, thus disconnecting sai part from thebreech-block 1,'so that t breech block can be moved back without pullingback the rod 5 and compressing the spring. When the Ybreech block ispushed forward, the rear wall of the untlattened portion of the part 7will engage the beveled surface 14 of the catch 12, so that the catchwill be automatically forced aside until the parts are in normalposition,

when the catch will snap back to locking position through the action ofthe spring 17. The catch thus constitutes an automatic latching catch,so that the breech block cannot be accidentally disconnected from thespring.

Fig. et shows the breech block 1 locked to the spring rod 5; and Fig. 5shows the catch 12 pushedV aside and the parts disconnected.

In the modied construction shown in i Figs. 6 to 9, the Vspringabut-menty 18, which lis the equivalentof the spring abutment 3,

is shown as adapted to be connected with or disconnected Jfrom thepistol frame,by means of a catch orrnger piece 19. In this construction,the spring rod is provided with a rearwardly projecting portion 20 whichis cut away underneathand-provided with an opening 21 which :lits over alug 22 formed on the upper surface of the breech'block, the

465"rear end of the projecting portion 20 lying in front of a shoulder23, so that when the 7 thus constitutes a shoulder 11 Y arts are in theposition shown in Figs 6 V and 9, the breech block 1 is permanentlycon-y nected with the spring rod. In this construction, the abutment 18is shown as provided with a lateral slot or recess 24 which is normallyengaged by a catch 25, shown as Y i formed at one end of a rod 26 whicheprojects through the frame into a recess 27 containing a spring 28bearing at oneV end` against the wall of the recess, and at the otherend against the linger piece19.V By pressingv the spring trame, and inpulling back the breechgblock,

the said abutment 1S and the Vspring Yarego linger piece 19, therefore,the 5 i abutment 18 is released :tromthe Y* drawn backwithout'compressmg the sprlng, .Y

thus accomplishing the same result asy that accomplished by theconstruction shown in Figs. 1 to 5.

In this construction, bothlof'q; Y the spring abutments are moved withthe'f breech-block, but as both are movable Yto-y gether, there isnochange lin the positiontof one relative to the position of the other,and, Q1 consequently, no compressionV of the spring. i'

It is obviously immaterial whether the abutments are movable orstationary,fso

long as the position of one relative Yto thel position of the otherremains unchanged; Y Y Y l/Vhile the constructions herein shownand.V Y

'described are practical and effectual, it is;y

obvious that further modifications Ymay made without departing from theinvention' which is embodied in any practical means. Y

whereby the breech block can be' moved .100

without causing a corresponding,movement of one spring abutment relativeto the other,r V so that the fire Varm can be cockedby hand o withoutcompressing the s ringwhichy nor- ,Y Y

mally acts on the breech b ock.

What I claim is: Y .u 1. In an automatic pistol Vof 'i the blow backtypethe combination with a movable,

breech block; of a spring located'inffront'- of thebreech block andlying betweengtwo j j abutments, one of which is Vmovable 'within thebreech block, and the other stationaryy when the pistol lisassembledgYa-nd an automatic latching catch for releasing one ofthe saidabutments,- whereby the 'breech blockjV canl be moved tocock the hammerwithoutVV compressingV the spring.

2. In an automatic pistol, the]cornbina-yV tion with a breech blockadapted tobe moved in ,one direction by the reaction of the ei:-VV

ploding charge; of a spring normally adapted to move said breech blockinthe'oppy.V Y site direction; abutments between which theV spring isnormally compressed by Vthe move- Y, Y,

ment'of one abutment relative tothe other,

one of said abutments being movablewith' the breech block, and theotherl stationary Y when the pistol is assembled; and an automaticlatching lcatch wherebyV Vone ofsaid f abutments can be released toadmit fofytheV cooking of the hammer Without compressing the springwhich acts on the breech block when the pistol is in operation.

3. In an automatic pistol, the combination with a breech block; of aspring located in front of the breech block; an abutment for one end ofthe spring movable with said breech block when the pistol is assembled;a stationary abutment for the opposite end of the spring; and a manuallyoperated device for disconnecting said spring from one of saidabutment-s, whereby the pistol, when assembled, can be cocked withoutcompressing the spring.

4. In an automatic pistol, the combination with the breech block; of arod connected therewith and provided at one end with a spring abutment,the said rod and abutment being l contained in a recess in front of thebreech block; a xed spring abutment at the opposite end of said recess;and an automatic latching catch eX- tending laterally across said breechblock and adapted to connect the breech block with, or disconnect itfrom, said rod.

5. In an automatic pistol, the combination with the breech block locatedbehind the barrel; of a rod projecting forward from said breech blockinto a recess above the barrel, said rod being provided at its forwardend .with a springabutment; a second spring abutment normally fixed inthe said recess; a spring located between the said abutments; aconnecting member at the rear end of said rod provided with a transverseshoulder; and an automatic latching catch located in the breech block,said catch having a shoulder normally lying in front of the transverseshoulder of the connecting member to connect the breech block and therod, and also having a beveled front shoulder, substantially as and forthe purposes described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HAROLD K. SoHorr, DOUGLAS B. WnssoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

